Rainbow Fish and the Whale

Children's Literature - Dianne Ochiltree

Rainbow Fish returns in another saltwater adventure. One day, a long way out in the deep blue sea, an old whale decides to settle down in Rainbow Fish's neighborhood, where the krill are plentiful and there are so many pretty little fish to watch. The old whale means no harm but those large, watchful eyes worry Rainbow Fish. He worries that the whale might eat all of the krill and leave nothing for the other fishes. Once the krill are gone, he worries, the whale might try to eat him and his friends, too! Orange Fish worries, too, and when the whale accidentally swims too close to them, a chain of events leaves everyone frightened and hungry. Eventually, Rainbow Fish works up the courage to make friends with the whale, and a happy ending is enjoyed by all. This is a well-engineered adaptation of the original picture book, published under the title, Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale in 1998. The illustrations have been re-sized to a square format, the corners rounded for safety, the book sized for easy handling by tiny hands, the covers constructed of sturdy board and laminated for easy wipe-off cleanings, the interior pages made of heavy, coated stock and, to every illustration, a sparkly fin or two added! A great choice for nursery or daycare center shelves. Reviewer: Dianne Ochiltree

School Library Journal

PreS—These three stories have been adapted and designed for the toddler crowd. In the first warm and gentle tale, an owlet gets separated from her mother and starts to howl loudly. All the forest animals try in earnest to calm her, from a concerned mole to a gruff stag beetle. It is only after the baby owl sees her mother on a tree branch above that she stops howling and flies into her comforting arms. The deep, earthy tones affectionately convey this sweet story about separation. The second book is a scaled-down version of Chicken Chickens (NorthSouth, 2001). It follows a pair of young chicks on their first visit to the neighborhood playground. They arrive with their mom and are overwhelmed at all of the bustling activity. As they wander around, new friends invite them to play but each time they demure saying, "Oh, no! Little chicks can't do THAT!" Finally, a group of mice and a beaver encourages them to attempt the slide and, with the help of the other animals, they succeed. Whimsical drawings help readers follow along on this playground adventure. In the third book, Rainbow Fish and his friends are afraid of the new whale that is hanging out in the area, eating all their food and staring at them. Rainbow Fish soon learns that the whale only wanted to make friends and that he has been hurt by the others' mean words and actions. Additional purchases for preschool collections or libraries that offer lap-sit programs.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI